(CNN) - As his Senate career nears its end, Republican Chuck Hagel isn't holding back when it comes to criticizing members of his own party - including conservative talk radio hosts.

"We are educated by the great entertainers like Rush Limbaugh," Hagel said Tuesday during a speech in Washington, according to the Huffington Post.

"You know, I wish Rush Limbaugh and others like that would run for office," a sarcastic Hagel continued. "They have so much to contribute and so much leadership and they have an answer for everything. And they would be elected overwhelmingly. [The truth is] they try to rip everyone down and make fools of everybody but they don't have any answers."

Hagel has increasingly become critical of his party in the aftermath of the Iraq War and notably held back endorsing his longtime friend John McCain during the presidential campaign. He's reportedly under consideration for a cabinet post in the Obama administration.

Speaking at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Hagel also faulted Washington lawmakers for "raw, partisan, political paralysis."

"The American people don't like what is going on... they want us to start doing what leaders are expected to do, address the problems, find some consensus to governing. Get along. There will be disagreements, sure... but in the end we can't hold ourselves captives to this raw, partisan, political paralysis."

soundoff(410 Responses)

Two people standing on different sides of the fence, but in the same pair of shoes.

November 18, 2008 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

Dennis

Good for you Chuck. This is what Washington needs right now.
A republican who is not afraid to speak the truth about RL and others like him. Thank You!!

November 18, 2008 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

Still don't get it

I truly wish that we could have traded Lieberman for Hagel and a senator to be determined in 2010.

November 18, 2008 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

Josh, Minneapolis

A level-headed Republican, who would have thought?

November 18, 2008 04:19 pm at 4:19 pm |

ROCHELLE

Mr. Hagel is a man of means. He is telling the truth unlike that lier Lieberman. The first part of Liebermans' name is "LIE" and he tells it in volumes. The Democratic people of the world will impeach him or the Democratic Party will find a way to get rid of him I HOPE! I hope that Mr. Hagel gets a great position in the Obama Administration. It is well diserved.

November 18, 2008 04:19 pm at 4:19 pm |

Ryan

It's funny how other people's opinions, who others don't agree with, are called "hate speech." What a joke. Learn how to argue and stop using terms like "hate speech" because you have no rational arguments.

November 18, 2008 04:19 pm at 4:19 pm |

GoPalin

Chuck is a closet democrat. Rush is awesome! i would rather listen to Rush and Hannity over Chris "thill up my leg" Matthews and Keith "bathtub boy" Olby..

seriously, the repubs gotta stop their in fightings, it is no different than the dems in fightings..

November 18, 2008 04:19 pm at 4:19 pm |

steve

It is so funny to see liberals praise republicans when they bash other republicans. Liberals always describe them as intelligent as if they weren't before, although Hagel is an idiot, so once again liberals are proven wrong.
i.e. Hagel, Powell, Chafee, McCain before he ran for President

November 18, 2008 04:20 pm at 4:20 pm |

Tim

America would be a Better Place if Idiots like Limbaugh and Hannity had no Voice to spit their Hate !!!!
-----------–
Although I have no use for their brand of "speech," it is, nonetheless, speech and needs to be protected. I think it is an abuse of First Amendment privileges on their part. One could argue the same thing about pornographers. But unlike Limbaugh, at least pornographers have a code of ethics.

November 18, 2008 04:20 pm at 4:20 pm |

Corky

Hagel is a Rinoand an idiot. Rush does have very effective solutions anyone who say different dosent actually listen to the program.

November 18, 2008 04:20 pm at 4:20 pm |

Carole

Is that vulgar LImbaugh going to apologize for the comment he made about PRESIDENT OBAMA visiting his dying grandmother. Limbaugh said 'I bet she has the sniffles.".

So all of you who just love you some Rush, go for it!

November 18, 2008 04:20 pm at 4:20 pm |

John Parker

Way to go Hagel. Limbaugh is nothing more than an over rated COMEDIAN!

November 18, 2008 04:21 pm at 4:21 pm |

Chris

I totally disagree with Hagel. He sounds like he is hiding something.
Limbaugh and the like give a lot of answers. If only politicians would have the courage to carry them out and not care about their careers like Hagel.

November 18, 2008 04:21 pm at 4:21 pm |

Renel C

TO Tex:

You said that Hagel is a worhtless lifeform. You see people, Tex is an example of an idiotic neonut. He called Hagel worthless lifeform but he did not explain why. He is just into name calling... pretty much like Rush and Sean.

These rabid idiotic nincompoop neocons are the reason why the republicans lost.

November 18, 2008 04:21 pm at 4:21 pm |

Woody

Hagel is a joke! Believe me as one who has met and knows him personally!! He is not a Republican nor a Democraft he is of the Chuck Party and all better look out for him.

November 18, 2008 04:21 pm at 4:21 pm |

fanny

Chuck is an idiot, a wannabe liberal that doesn't have the guts to change parties. He should, we don't need pansies like him. Just because you have R behind your name does not mean you are a Republican or a conservative. Chuck is a schmuck!!! Chuck only wishes he had as many listenners has Rush does. All Chuck wants to do is bail out everybody and their mothers too. When does it end. Rush tells it like it is. He said that the line was going to get real long after we gave Paulson a blank check and it is growing everyday. So Chuck get lost!!!!

November 18, 2008 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

Michelle, PA

Chuck Hagel is one of the people I mean whenever I say "there are still good Republicans out there". I hope he does receive, and accept, an integral role in the Obama Administration. This nation needs more like him.

November 18, 2008 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

Tony

Chuck is a Republican as much as Limbaugh is a Democrat.

Please, like this is news..................

November 18, 2008 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

sbjvbj

This is not something new for Chuck Hagel. He has not been afraid to disagree with Republicans for a long time now. So, no, he is not trying to ingratiate himself to become a part of anybody's cabinet. He and Dick Lugar have spoken more openly and honestly about what has gone wrong for a very long time now. They were truly thinking about the wear and tear on our military for the stupid mistakes made by Bush,Cheney and Rumsfeld.

Listen up, Obama Transition Team! You have a good man in Chuck Hagel. How about National Security Advisor?

November 18, 2008 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

Sam

I have listened to Limbaugh on several occasions and marveled at his uncanny ability of making it the Democrats' fault of anything and everything that goes wrong in any remote corner of the world, be it a hurricane in the US or a Tsunami in Asia. Limbaugh, I can honestly say, makes me ill. Chuck Hagel is right on!

November 18, 2008 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

Clearly Departed

I love people who only praise Republicans when they rip on other Republicans.

November 18, 2008 04:23 pm at 4:23 pm |

Richard

"Rush should run for office; he is a great American and a patriot"

Sure. Limbaugh, whose mugshot is in the local jail, is the super un-patriotic clown who thinks our brave troops are defending us so some windbag can encourage Americans to undermine the election process our forefathers cherished.

November 18, 2008 04:23 pm at 4:23 pm |

Michael watching from Canada

Hagel is certainly trying to set himself up to join Obama's administration.

The question is, "Would Hagel be a token Republican with Obama or is there a substantive role that Hagel could really take on effectively?"

November 18, 2008 04:23 pm at 4:23 pm |

Anthony

I love how the majority of comments drown out the ignorant replies on this comment board. I think America is sick of being divided and lead by fear and hate. Some of these idiots can try to spin Chucks words against him, or paint the situation negative, but at least he's manning up and telling it like it is, and anyone with common sense would agree with him.
Rush, Hannity, and Bill-O are starting to be engulfed by the fear theyve created, and all theyre going to be left with are their die-hard core listeners, while WE, the US of A, move on in unity trying to find solutions for our ailing country.

November 18, 2008 04:23 pm at 4:23 pm |

Reality Check richmond virginia

Bobb Dobbs: Any self respecting conservative would dislike Limbaugh.....unless you are saying that all conservatives are hate mongers.